I saw this on post secret this morning and I couldn't believe how much I could relate to it. Yeah, yeah, kinda emo I know but I have been trying to figure out how I can get out of my shell a bit to meet people. The longer I go without friends the harder it gets to get out there and meet people.
This is a vicious cycle I have gotten myself into. I really don't know how to get out of this loop. I have to get my courage up enough to just be around people and in situations where I might meet interesting people. I have so much anxiety though it makes it hard to over come my fears where I can feel comfortable in a social setting. Also it sucks that I feel so depressed because that certainly doesn't attract others. I don't think I would want to be friends with me when I am being such a sour puss.
I love being a pagan but sometimes I am envious of religions that have a temple on every street. How much easier it would be to just be able to go to church and meet like minded people. I have gone to one of the local pagan meet-ups and it went well though I felt extremely self conscious. I haven't been able to get up my nerve to go to another one.
Trying to deal with this is a work in progress.
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theratgoddess's journal
As for finding new friends, I have a suggestion. When I moved to Canada I knew no one beyond my husband and his family and coming from a wide range of friends and acquaintances I left behind, it was hard to have no friends around me any more. So what I did was start frequenting a local coffee shop. I stopped in a couple times a week and hung out with my journal. After a while I started to get to know the people behind the counter. Even though they didn't become close friends, it was nice to know familiar people who were happy to see me and got to know me. I ended up working there for a time until I became legal.
Then we moved again up-island in January and I have done the same thing. I frequent a cafe called Zocalo where I bring my lap top and have gotten to know the staff. It's a very passive way to meet new people and have a place where you can feel "familiar." It helps when I feel disconnected.
I hope this helps.